General - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Excel to Gedcom using MAC

anne_plummer — 27 Aug 2008 10:14:57 GMT

I was sent a tree in excel and woud like to convert it to gedcom format. I'm using a Mac. Is this possible?

I'm failry technochallenged, so instructions and advice need to be for dummies.

Thanks

Un Married Couples & their children

AAmmons1978 — 27 Aug 2008 5:02:28 GMT

I am trying to figure out how to list children whose parents did not marry. The only option I can figure out is to ad the other parent as spouse & in the wedding date write Not Married. Is there some other method to use?

Printing a Large Tree for wedding reception for Relatives to mark up and add to.

mattapoisett — 27 Aug 2008 2:10:10 GMT

Hi all,

I am looking to create a PDF file of my family tree in a large format which I can bring to a printer and have printed and then have my relatives add to the tree while they are attending my wedding. I can't see of a way of doing it on the Ancestry site without having the one they offer for sale which is not meant to have notes scrawled in the margins. I have Heridis which is ok but it won't print a full tree to one sheet.

Any suggestions for software that will do this? It must be Mac based

Thanks and take care

- Patrick.

British Vital Records 2nd Edition - help needed!

danrag — 26 Aug 2008 3:02:57 GMT

Hi,

I have a disc missing from my set of Vital Records (the 16 CD version) Disc 1 - Births and Christenings 'A'. The thing is, I need this disc to install the rest, as the reader will only recognize disc one when installing a set of records. So I can't use any of the discs.

Is there a kind soul out there who can copy me disc one? I have all the original discs except that one and can send pics to prove it if anyone is worried that I'm just after a freebie. I can cover your costs for your time etc and postage - and you would be saving me from having to scrap the whole lot as they are no good without disc one.

Any help much appreciated!

Dan.

Ultimate family tree files..how do I reuse?

mrkelseymsmith — 22 Aug 2008 8:49:57 GMT

Hello,

I have a problem that needs your expert help. Apologies if it has been answered or discussed elsewhere.

I have a genealogy files created in Ultimate Family Tree deluxe (UFT). UFT is no longer published and ran on Win2000. I have winXP. How do I convert these files to something I can use with a new program?

I think I have found the relevant UFT files. The were in a 'projects' folder and have .CDX, .DBF and .FPT and .PRO suffixes. This make sense to anyone?

Any help appreciated.

Kelsey

Actual Tree Image for Updating?

charliechapman — 22 Aug 2008 7:19:01 GMT

I'm beginning to prepare to print a new version of my family history book and am looking for an actual tree images for the cover page. What I would like is a actual tree image with branches, where I can place the highest ancestor in the center or at the roots and have place the immediate descendants on the branches. Preferably have the tree image in color.

I've been searching the Internet, but have not found anything good yet. Any suggestions where I can find one or two?

Thanks
Charlie

Program to show tree w/ photos all on CD

BryanMehn — 18 Aug 2008 7:59:26 GMT

I'm looking for a program, hopefully free, that will do the following.

I'd like to be able to take the family tree starting with my grandmother/grandfather and go back as far as possible. I'd also like to be able to display photos when someone clicks on a person. I would be giving this out on a CD to the family at Christmas so it would have to be a program that would be able to run on a CD and wouldn't need to be installed on the computer. I have hundreds of photos so I'd really like to be able to display multiple photos at once, though having at least one would be needed.

Are there any programs like this? It doesn't need to be fancy, mostly just display names and dates. I don't think most people are going to care much about all the other stuff but I'd like to make it easy to view photos without having to look through hundreds of photo files.

Free is of course best, or at least the ability to put it on separate CDs without a problem. Does PAF do this or does it need to be placed directly on the computer?

Genealogy programs

MSBG121 — 19 Aug 2008 3:25:36 GMT

the computer that I had all my genealogy on crashed! Luckily I have good paper records and will be able to recreate much of it. (it will just take a lot of time and energy) Also, luckily, I've posted to this board and can get information back that way.

My question is about the geneaology program I should buy - I had an old version of Family Tree Maker before. It was OK. Does anyone have something they REALLY like?

You don't need to post to the board if you'd rather just email me directly -

msbg121@aol.com

thanks, Martha (feeling frustrated and overwhelmed)

Advice needed on software choice to show siblings

kg6gb — 12 Aug 2008 2:48:32 GMT

I have tried Family Tree Maker 2008 - bits are okay, but I want to show my whole family including siblings.

Can anyone advise me please on software that will allow this.

Thank you

Do you recommend creating separate family files?

blwalworth — 11 Aug 2008 12:10:49 GMT

I recently purchased geneaology software (Family Tree Maker 2008) and am ready to begin inputting data from hard copy records. I'm fortunate to have a lot of information already available but its cumbersome to look through so I'm looking forward to having it in a database. I am struggling with the best way to manage the data. Should I create one massive file which starts with me and includes all branches of my family (maternal and paternal for multiple generations) including my husbands? Or should I create separate files for instance one for my mother's side of the family, one for father's side of the family, one for my husband's side, etc? How do other people handle this? I want to make the data as easy as possible to work with and have high quality data and I hope to only have to do the data entry once. Thanks for your advice.

software for "drawing" family trees for publication

hownhelcymru_1 — 9 Aug 2008 1:49:14 GMT

I am looking for software which will allow me to to draw family trees for publication in a book. This will be in the English language, but will also include Welsh language, patronymics, and placenames.

I want to use the "drop down" method of drawing trees. The information has already been entered into PAF5, but, of course, if needs be I am willing to re-enter it.

I need something which will be flexible, so as to include illegitimate children, both to single fathers and to single mothers; second marriages and the parents of all spouses.

Thank you for reading this,

Helenor

Easy data entry / user interface wanted?

texasnightowl — 6 Aug 2008 3:36:07 GMT

I had a long post typed out but it was showing up with no paragraph breaks in it? So basically my question is this: Which program has the easiest data entry interface without trying to be smarter than you? I have FTM2005 and like that I can click in a box and start typing and I can use the tab button to move around the screen to add data to other fields.

I downloaded trials of Legacy, Master Genealogist, and RootsMagic (3) and find it disappointing how many clicks you have to do to add parents to an individual for example. I was able to figure out Legacy a little easier than RM and TMG. Will RM4 be any better? (And yes, part of the test is the ability to enter data without having to look at instructions.)

Should I stick with my FTM2005 and/or compare it to Legacy or is there something I am missing about RM and TMG?

Roots 5

Renie-G — 4 Aug 2008 7:07:14 GMT

I'm using Roots5 and need to upgrade to another program. I'm having problems with R5 not functioning properly. Can anyone help me with the transition and suggest an new program? I am not strong in computer skills.

Software Suggestions?

Jodi_Lea — 4 Aug 2008 2:27:06 GMT

i need help from those of you who are experts ... i would like to find a software that is easy to sort and report on, checks for dupes, a program that will allow pdf attachments (for birth certs, death certs, actual printed census info, etc), pictures and then will allow me to easily upload the info to a website like ancestry.com. i've used a few different programs (personal ancestry file, family tree maker, my heritage) but they don't like to communicate with each other and when i make changes on one and then try to upload and/or merge the databases, i lose some information or duplicate other information (grrrrr!).

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated! I'm a detail oriented crazy person, and losing information after months of research is frustrating.

Thanks so much for your help!!

I loved Heritage Family Tree ... now what?

bcfrench — 27 Jul 2008 9:07:59 GMT

I used to use and love Heritage Family Tree Deluxe software. I loved how it handled sources, its no-nonsense approach to data entry. It had enough built-in features to be useful without (a) being overly bloated and (b) not thinking it's smarter than you are and "helping" you do things you didn't want it to do.

However, it's not being updated, it worked poorly with XP and doesn't work at all with Vista. And I've waited in hope they might update it someday, but it's not happening.

I switched to the latest version of Family Tree Maker. I've given it a few months, hoping to get used to it. I'm not getting used to it. The "new" layout is terrible, awkward, cumbersome to navigate ... I simply hate it. It keeps doing things "for" me. The last straw today was discovering that after verifying a location, it sprayed that location in a bunch of other records that didn't have locations for birth dates, so now it looks like I'm related to more people in Scipio, Cayuga, New York than have ever lived there in the past century. And you STILL can't do an ahnentafel chart!

So, I'm looking for new software. I'm looking for robust source handling, not so much the ability to make pretty books and calendars. I don't want a program that does stuff for me. I want a pretty standard layout. I don't care about whether or not it can interface with a site like Ancestry because I never import anything directly from websites into my trees.

Any suggestions?

...Barb

Which is the best software program to use with Ancestry??

deweber_1 — 27 Jul 2008 1:05:14 GMT

Hi all,
Under the topic of Genealogy Software there are a number of different applications (rootsmagic, family tree maker, and so on...)I want one that is user friendly and allows for easy fixing of the errors I will undoubtedly make. Also want to be able to print custom reports from my stored data.
All comments/suggestions will be appreciated.

Combining two names in my list? How?

brittenkm1 — 19 Jul 2008 6:01:01 GMT

Is there a way to combine two of the same people in my list? Same name, birthday, everything but some census records are keeping the two apart. I've got several like this and would LOVE an easy way - short of manually.

Software that recognises same sex CPs and marriages

helena869 — 28 Jul 2008 2:45:59 GMT

Hello :)

I'm looking for genealogical software where I can have two people of the same sex as either Civil Partners (such as in the UK) or Married such as in Canada. I currently use FTM10 which enables "partners" but just has "meeting date" and "meeting place" as options, which is no good. And neither is husband/wife when it is two people of the same sex.

Help much appreciated, thank you. :)

Clooz: Potential ancestors/co-laterals

KayFMasterson — 5 Oct 2007 4:11:25 GMT

CLOOZ is a time committment to key into. When I have found several references in several books (sources) to John Masterson (for example), I want to save the notes, but I don't know if he is the same John Masterson. How does Clooz help there? How do you get out a report on all the JMs who only have a _potential_ to be related? Do you assign each one an individual ID number? Once I have the report with all the JMs listed, I can read them to see which was in a given place at a given time, to get leads. I don't want a computer sort on time and place. I want to see the list to make subjective evaluations. Then, can the selected JMs be merged into one ID number?? --Thanks, Richard...

Generations Snapshot Program

kateina375 — 6 Jul 2008 3:05:35 GMT

I hope someone can help. Some years ago, I upgraded to the Generations Millenium edition with Snapshot Express upgrade. That computer crashed and it was quite a while until we got another and I could never find the Snapshot CD to reinstall. Now I have found a backup CD with historic b & w photos and no program to open the files with. These photos are really important to our family history. I remember that I was in the process of converting all photos to jpg when the crash occurred but had never gotten to these.

Does anyone know of a way to open them OR could someone take the CD and convert to jpg files?

Citing your Sources????

legacykwst — 14 Apr 2007 2:15:52 GMT

Is there anything out there in the way of genealogy software that has a souce template will allow one to cite one's source in a way similar to the standard NGS endnote format. Most seem set up to do a book format... not the wide variety formats necessary for court records, diary entries, original documents, letters, etc.

I'm also looking for something that will allow me to give more than one source per event.

For example, often birth, death, or marriage information from one source is incomplete... it may give the year, but not the place or date. Another source may provide the place and date. Together both sources bolster each other & both should be used as a preponderance of evidence in the same end or footnote.

So far, I've only found programs that permit one citation on the personal information sheet. If I want to add anything else, I'm forced to place it under "additional notes," but then it doesn't always show up when I print out a list of sources... or on group sheets, it does not appear linked with the event, which leads to more notes.

Descendant Chart

benjaminbanyas — 10 Jun 2008 6:48:46 GMT

Is there any place to download a printable blank descendant chart online? I only need the blank chart and not a software package. my searches have come up empty. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Family trees and multiple marriages

tprtriumph — 24 May 2008 3:30:00 GMT

Can anyone help please, I am new to genealogy and am looking for family tree software that will show multiple marriages and the children from each or any of the marriages. Is there any software that will show this or do I have to design my own.

Thanks for any help.

Looking for software that allows editing of a descendents tree

boltongenes — 18 May 2008 3:32:00 GMT

I have been using Family Tree, sold as a bundle called Family Tree Genealogy Suite in Australia by GSP Software (now sold by Avanquest)and love the fact I can edit a descending tree rather than the usual ascendents format. It is very quick and simple to use but is weak in terms of sourcing. You can connect source files but it doesn't give you any timelines by person such as in ancestry or RootsMagic. But alas after 3 years and 3000 ancestors I have outgrown it.

I upgraded to RM3 only to find that this does not allow editing of descending trees, it will only create an editable report which is not what I what as they are only cosmetic changes for the purposes of the report. I liked RM's other features but I do nearly all my work in descendents mode.

Is there any software out there that allows me to edit a descending tree that has good tracking of sources?

Anne-Marie

How Do I Merge Duplicate Records

MrSmudge — 1 Nov 2007 5:24:36 GMT

Hi,

Can someone help me? I see that I have created more than one record on my tree for the same individual(s) . How do I merge them or remove one?

Thanks
MrSmudge

How do I print out some charts for my family with the dreaded MacIntosh?

beepbeep1962 — 25 May 2008 2:40:39 GMT

I just wanted to show my family some of my progress and I didn't want to type out each and every name in MS Word or something! Everyone says get FTM but I have a Mac. FTM seems to have dissed Macs. What do I do? :)

Software for Managing Research Notes

roland184 — 2 Feb 2008 7:28:39 GMT

Hi Researchers,

I currently use FTM and of course the website here at Ancestry to organise and display family data of known related individuals. I quite like the integration of FTM and Ancestry.

I am looking for suggestions on what people are using as a database program on individuals that may not necessarily be related.

For example, if I were researching the name Smith, I would like some way of entering the data fragments of every Smith I came across for later investigation and comparison, for possible later inclusion into FTM when a relationship was determined.

I know you can enter unrelated people in FTM, but it makes an absolute mess of it's own database and is pretty useless for searching based on close matches.

I thought that maybe I would have to design an Acess database, but surely someone out there must have some solution already.

My other thought was just to create a New Tree in FTM for each name researched ????

Please drop me a few comments.

Thanks
Roland

AncestryView and VISTA

johnclement75 — 22 Oct 2007 8:39:00 GMT

I have two ancestry.com CDs. Both use AncestryView.

PERSI 2000 Periodial Source Index

and

American Genealogical and Biographical Index

They are installed on my Windows XP computer and work fine.

Now with my new Vista Home Premium computer, these two CDs will not install properly.

I tried Vista's "compatability" feature to have AncestryView run in XP mode - still no luck.

Has anyone successfully installed AncestryView on a Vista computer? If yes, I need help, please.

Gedcom files & how they work

auntclauds — 21 May 2008 2:02:55 GMT

I am totally lost. I keep missing something. Perhaps someone can give me step-by-step instructions to deal with my clueless-ness:

I have no software, yet. I have two people who I want to find out if related (not living)and how many different ways. I want to use the GEDCOM button on Rootsweb to download some trees and then match up names in a software program. I simply cannot figure this out. I can't put the pieces together about a gedcom file reader and genealogy software, etc. Like I said, somewhere I am missing a step and I can't find any real printouts/directions for the complete genealogy software novice. Thank you. (And I am not computer illiterate, just in this area)

Build a family tree with Powerpoint?

BrianMLeahy — 8 May 2008 7:05:04 GMT

I have been searching much of the available Family Tree Software to see if their family trees can be transferred to slide show software keeping their focus and finding that they can't.
I have never used Powerpoint and don't want to buy it unless it can be of use to me so my question is:
Is it possible to create a family tree showing details in text and small individual photographs using Powerpoint and if so will the image keep its focus when transferred to slide show software?

Genealogy Software

djch39 — 14 May 2008 9:45:11 GMT

I want to buy a genealogy software program. Which of the top 5+ programs includes a user manual? If a manual doesn't come with the program, what program has a manual I can purchase.Thanks for your help.

Dan

A family tree software appliaction compatable with a slideshow application.

BrianMLeahy — 8 Apr 2008 11:33:52 GMT

When I die I know that the boxes of old family photographs and albums will be looked at and then put in the attic or maybe dumped so I decided that I would scan them and place them on a digital slide show and then burn it to a DVD so that it can be viewed by future generations on TV where they will be easily accessible.
I spent many hours scanning and sorting the photographs chronologically and then I thought why not take the project a little further and build a family tree to place at the start of the slide show.
At about that time I read about a piece of free genealogy software called MyHertiage and I found it reasonably easy to use. So far I have got a family tree of three generations of photographs and I didn't want to go any further until I knew if I could capture that family tree and move it onto the slide show program. The only way that I could work out how to do that was by using a screen grab and saved it as a JPEG and it looked alright.
However, when I imported the result to Pinnacle which is the slide show software the screen grab was out of focus.
Can anyone help with the following questions:

1. Should I be using a different method to capture the family tree image?
2. Should I be using a different package than MyHeritage?
3. Has anyone attempted to capture a family tree image to post on a slide show?

Entering Given Names-Proper method?

Bill_Bourbeau — 6 May 2008 8:36:44 GMT

I'm sure someone must have already asked this, but I can't seem to find an answer.

When entering a person's given name, should one use the name they used or their birth/baptismal name?

For example, my grandfather was: "Joseph George Philippe," but he always went by "George J."

It can be frustrating to find names in the database when so many names begin w/ Joseph, Mary/Marie, etc.

Genealogy Software

Legendseeker — 1 Apr 2008 6:26:21 GMT

I was just curious on what software people liked to use for their genealogy. I currently have Family tree 2005 and was thinking about upgrading to 2008, however, some of the reviews I have read are not too good. I was thinking of switching to Legacy. I would love to hear comments from anyone regarding their preferences.

thanks much,

Sue Harvey

Web/Internet Family Tree

kara1175 — 14 Jan 2007 6:11:24 GMT

I'm trying to get started on putting together a family website. With genealogy information, and which will allow the family to help contribute to the online family tree information, such as locations, stories, pictures, medical information, etc. The idea I have is that pictures and names would be linked together and could display together on a chart, with the links leading to a page for that specific person. I want the site to have a search function which would allow sorting people in different ways, or to just do keyword searches. Ideally, I'd also download this new information back down to my machine/software for backup purposes.

I'm trying to decide which software to use to make this happen. I'm not much with HTML but I can build basic webpages. Any suggestions how to go about doing this, and which software would be easiest to use?

Thanks for any advice you can lend!
Kara

Free or paid for software. Is there a difference?

BrianMLeahy — 8 Apr 2008 11:36:31 GMT

I have seen lots of free family tree applications and of course many more that have to be paid for. Is there a differenc and why do people give away such software?

Is software necessary?

shaquara — 28 Jan 2008 3:48:57 GMT

I have only recently been researching my family tree and have been using the available tools on ancestry.com. What are the advantages to having a separate program?

Genealogy software for Blackberries

Frank_Mastronardi — 7 Apr 2008 8:09:50 GMT

Does anyone know if there is a family tree program that can be used on Blackberry phones?

confusing adoption entry

rmorain1 — 23 Dec 2007 5:34:12 GMT

I have a kind of unique situation. My maternal grandparents adopted me. My birth mother has always been referred to as my sister & I would like me shown under my grandparents, with a link to my birth parents. Any ideas on how to handle this for familt tree entry?

GEDCOM to MS Access or Excel

cnewton1969 — 27 Mar 2008 10:44:48 GMT

This question has probably been asked a thousand times but does anyone know of any software that can convert a GedCom file into MS Access or Excel in its entirety? I have seen applications such as GEDxLate that translate most of the GedCom file but none seem to do all.

Also keen to know if there are any Visual Basic/MS Access applications out there that do a partial translation but the source code is available?

Any help would be appreciated.

Software and family relationships

nemesis2a — 22 Mar 2008 11:17:40 GMT

I am looking for a family tree software that will allow me to indicate common law, and multiple relationships. I have a daughter that I have added, but my present spouse is not her biological mother. I also have family that has been married more than once.

Show adoptive and birth parents?

elisabethhunt — 24 Feb 2008 6:17:39 GMT

Is there any way to indicate both adoptive and birth parents?

Proper way to enter daughters in trees? Maden or New name?

wxfear — 14 Mar 2008 7:17:20 GMT

When you list a daughters in the tree are you suppose to list them with their maden last names or the names they took once they were married?

Example follows

Jim Jones is Married to Jenny Boothe
They have ONE daughter named Pauline Jones.

Later Pauline Jones marries to become Pauline Brown.

Do you like Pauline, under the parent's tree, as Pauline Jones or Pauline Brown?

I know theirs a rule on this but I cannot locate it.

thank you

Mac advice

smcrawford_bmt — 11 Mar 2008 3:48:34 GMT

Just convert from Windows to Mac with no regrets save there is not a Mac version of FTM. Is there any Mac OSX genealogy software that allows easy importing of records found with my ancestry.com membership?

I really don't want to bother having to set my iMac up for dual boot OSX - Win XP to keep running FTM.

Thanks.

GEDCOM applets?

tdfugere — 12 Feb 2008 5:43:05 GMT

I'm looking for an applet (preferably Java based) or another type of program that will allow me to display a gedcom in one browser window (without needing to modify the URL address). Just need a viewer - no editing needed.
I've found a few online, but can't make them work, or aren't quite what I'm looking for. I'm using PAF 5.2.18.0 / GED 5.5.

Grateful for any suggestions!

Tiffany Fugère

Genealogy Software Help

sigmasiren — 7 Mar 2008 4:55:26 GMT

I'm attempting a fairly ambitious family tree and I was wondering if there's a software package out there I can buy that fits my needs.

I currently have an Excel database of relatives' names, addresses, etc that I can export to a text file or a CSV file

I'd like to be able to import this into a genealogy program to begin the process but so far all the programs I have found only allow importing from the GEDCOM format. If there's a tool that can convert from text/csv to GEDCOM or any other gene program standard format, that would be awesome too!

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

--Siren

Importing other peoples info into my online tree

marooncity — 16 Jan 2008 5:14:18 GMT

I'm using the online software to build my family tree. I've found a couple of other online public trees that people have created and which relate directly to mine - is there a way to simply dump their pedigrees into my tree without copying the information in manually person by person?

Software package that identifies relationships...

sarahfionah — 15 Feb 2008 10:30:05 GMT

I'm exploring which software package to opt for. I know little about them at this stage.

However, I would like one where you can highlight two individuals anywhere on your tree and for the software to identify the relationship between the two.....such as 3rd cousin twice removed, or 18th cousin once removed - whatever!

Could you please tell which, if any, packages offer this facility so that I can narrow down my choice straight away?

Many thanks in advance,
Sarah-fiona

Download software

jcwhite81 — 21 Feb 2008 11:57:48 GMT

I'm looking for a software that I can download off the internet, create ancestor charts and family group sheets with, then create files to email out. I used to have FTM, but I was not happy with it and am now on a new computor that I can start fresh with. Thanks!

Genealogy programs

jjl1329 — 29 Nov 2007 5:04:29 GMT

I am unable to find a genealogy program, that deals well with illegitemate births, adoptions, name changes, adoptive parents and all the details involved. Does anyone have a suggestion. I've tried, possibly a dozen of the available programs.

Jack

Looking for downloaded app name

jacklfuller1 — 17 Feb 2008 5:44:42 GMT

I lost a hard drive and have some difficulty reconstructing everything on it. I downloaded this app about six months ago and I think I paid $25 for it. I can't recall its name or where I got it from, but it automatically searched familysearch.com and maybe elsewhere for names that have already been submitted and ranked ordered them. I thought it sounded similar to Temple Ready if I remember correctly but of course it is not TR. Any help is appreciated.

"Personal Roots" software needed

Tom McDonnell — 14 Jan 2005 6:55:24 GMT

I want to Produce a GEDCOM file, but no longer have the software. It seems the maker is defunct.

Apple compatibility/genealogy software

roberta1942 — 10 Dec 2007 7:36:48 GMT

I've been using FTM 16 on a PC, but my PC is failing and the software is imperfect.
If I buy an Apple, what genealogy software should I use? Could my family tree be imported into that program from FTM or Ancestry.com, or would I need to re-enter data?

Splitting a database

JohnWeeks21 — 24 Jan 2008 12:34:25 GMT

I'm looking for a genealogy program that will allow you to select for export everyone connected to a given person, i.e. all ancestors, descendants, ancestors and descendants of spouses, siblings, etc. You can't do it with BK, Legacy or Gramps.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Would like to create a web site for our family tree

stocksportsinc — 17 Jan 2008 12:02:18 GMT

I would like to create a web site and post information about our family on it. What is the best way to create and post information about our family tree which would also include family photos and other information about current family members? Should I create my own web site or should I use a service provided by one of the web sites who specialize in it? Some of our family members have concerns as far as what information should be posted for the general public to see. I am doing this for both sides of my family Stasiak-Stachak-Stock and Markos sides of the family.

Anyone got Heredis 7.2 Premium for Windows?

LDHowlett — 8 Jun 2006 11:23:11 GMT

Hi folks!
Have just started with genealogy and just got to grips with Heredis 7.2.1 and wanted to burn CDs only to find Premium Edition needed. Guess what - no longer available for Windows!
Can anyone help with a download or CD in English?
Cheers,
Lnda H

Heredis Software

helenochyra — 28 Feb 2007 3:45:38 GMT

I am doing some research for an upcoming Guardian project on genealogy software and would like to know if anyone uses it and why you think it is the best software/why you chose it? What are its best features? Its worst? Has anyone switched to different software because they didn't like it? All comments, criticisms and praise would be appreciated.
Thank you.

Looking for software that will accomodate Russian Letters

LHILLMAN — 1 Oct 2007 11:44:19 GMT

Hi!

I'm writing on behalf of my neighbors (who are Russian) to ask if there is a genealogy software program that will accomdate the Russian alphabet, as well as english characters. The couple immigrated from Russia in the mid-70s and so their family tree "starts" with an immediate need for this capability. I don't use any software so I am at a loss as to what programs are available and what would be suitable. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Lynn

Family photography project

chafer444 — 17 Jan 2008 12:04:35 GMT

This question isn’t about genealogy programs but it has to do with the research on my family and I didn't know where else to post it. For many years I have been wanting to do something with my old family photos but haven’t been able to find the right program. I’ve looked at Adobe Elements, Paint ShopPro and others but none seem to do what I want. Basically I want to scan the photos into the program, do some editing like fix scratches or exposure, but the main thing is I want to be able to place a caption below the photo like you would see in a newspaper or magazine so that the information that’s on the back of the photo is easier to find. I know it’s possible to do that in some of these programs but none seem to make it very easy. (I’ve got a lot of photos to scan so I’m looking for things to be as easy as I can find.) In my mind it should be as simple as going to the Options tab and clicking yes I want a caption box or no I don’t. I’d like the files to be saved in a format, like JPEGs, that's easy to share with others. Is there anything out there that fits what I’m looking to do?

Software to produce a "Time Line"

jrscholz1 — 9 Jan 2008 12:59:59 GMT

I've been interested in Genealogy for quite a while, and finally am looking into getting software for entering the research I've done.

One of the features I haven't been able to find is software that produces a "time line" of events that have happened in my family history.

Is anyone aware of software that can simply report all events in a consolidated report? (I'm thinking of how magazines sometimes run timelines across the bottom of a few pages.)

Thanks! (And sorry if this has already been covered... I just haven't found anything on this yet!)

using LDS 1881 UK census discs with Vista

richardwkendell — 21 Dec 2007 2:06:37 GMT

Does anyone have the 1881 census discs running on Vista? i have the 1851 census running OK but after loading Viewer 3.0 I cannot get the 1881 discs to display.
If there is a more approprite board for this query perhaps someone could point me in the right direstion.
Thanks
Richard

Gedcom problem

julieannfleming — 1 Jan 2008 10:40:23 GMT

I have the "download GEDCOM" prompt for my Ancestry Tree but when I click it I have a text page with s http//trees blah blah blah in the address bar. Now my problem is that I'm not sure how to save it so as I can open it in FTM as if I click file/save as I'm not getting an option to save as a GEDCOM. I've saved it as is but when I go to FTM it's not in the folder I've saved it in, so I'm guessing it's not in the correct format.......sorry to go on

multiple marriages

BarbaraHornOD — 24 Nov 2007 4:30:12 GMT

Any help is appreciated....
My mother-in-law is creating a family tree. My husband, "M", was married once for a few years. He and I have been married longer now than his first marriage
survived and we still have a lifetime to go! (I am 35). Therefore, I consider our marriage the most important for his history when you look back over his lifetime.... the family tree doesn't reflect that. The first wife is listed at the top of the tree next to him and I am off in a peripheral notation.
To finish the story to get your full advice:
He had one child in his first marriage (Child "A" with with mother/ex-wife "J").
My husband then had a child after his divorce with a different person. (Child "D" with mother "K" - not married)
We got married and have 2 children ourselves. Children "B" & "M" with me, wife "BH")
Confused, yet?!?
My question..... should the first wife be peripheral in the tree with me listed next to my husband - especially now that we have been married longer and are the permanent couple with our 2 children? How should this look?

THANKS so much for your advice!
Barb

Digital photo organization software

DarillynD — 1 Jan 2002 11:22:04 GMT

We have accumulated thousands of family photos -- mostly 1880s to 1950s and are desperately in need of a specialized method of organization. Our original simple method was working, but with the huge library we have amassed, we probably need a computer database program that is written with genealogists in mind. Is anyone using such a program? Or if anyone has a similar problem, how have you solved it? TIA

Software that produces pedigree charts for display

HelenHamilton51 — 13 Aug 2007 10:10:56 GMT

I would like to use my PAF data probably through a GED file to create a fan chart or some such nice looking chart for hanging on the wall.
Would anyone know of a software program that would do this?
Helen

Web site suggestions

ronlanning1 — 6 Nov 2007 9:13:11 GMT

Hi i want to set up a website for my Family slanted towards Family History has anyone any suggestions as to which software/website provider has a Good setup.

Cheers
Ron

Switching from FTM

franjane11 — 11 Dec 2007 2:38:09 GMT

I am a new user of genealogy software. I began my Family Tree on Ancestry.com and after a few months I wanted to share my information with my sisters. Since when we get together it is frequently at the farm with no limited Internet access, I decided to purchase soft ware and order FTM since I assumed that movement of my Internet tree to software by the same company would be very easy. I received FTM 2008 and as everyone knows it was a disaster. I struggled for days and then ordered FTM 16 and returned 08 for a refund.

I liked 08, but when it takes 4 minutes to merge from the Internet and crashes every two or three times you do a merge, the situation was impossible. I have followed the progress of the patches and it sounds like while progress is being made, there are still big problems. In addition, many users with powerful computers are still complaining about the slowness of the program. I have a good computer that is new, but it is not a powerhouse and I use dial up Internet connections. I find the merges using FTM 16 occur with a reasonable speed, but any slower would be a real pain.

The long and the short of it, I have decided that I should look for a new software program. The two programs that are mentioned most often are Roots and Legacy. I hear that Legacy has a steeper learning curve, but many think it is a better program. Roots is also well liked. I would appreciate some advise.

I am not interested in doing high powered genealogy research. I would like to be able to easily document my family, tell family stories and provide my family with documented information that they can follow up on. My family is not large and while I would like to go back more than the 6 to 8 generations I have now, I am more interested in tracking what the family has done since they immigrated in the mid 1800's. I am interested in locations and want the locations to be accurate for the time. It drives me nuts that FTM08 insists that my great, great grandfather died in West Virginia when the state did not exist at the time.

I want to be able to print out attractive histories and books with the flexibility to include what I want. I want standard reports, but also custom reports. I want to be able to include pictures and copies of documents of interest. A census document finally gives us all a better understanding of a family feud that each of us heard somewhat different stories about through the years.

Anyway, I would really appreciate your thought about what software to choose. I want something that is easy to use, helps me document sources easily and accurately, and gives fun reports to share. I am willing to work at learning software, but I want the extra work to pay off big time.

Thanks in advance.

Tree/datafile analysis software ?

spammerbait — 20 Nov 2007 4:44:32 GMT

Probably asking for something that doesn't exist, but I'll post this anyway as one never knows.

Recently I discovered a family on my tree that was reasonably close to my pedigree, and yet I'd obviously become distracted when adding them as there was quite a bit of data I hadn't searched for. In fact families farther away from my pedigree that had caught my eye, had been better researched, so finding individuals there without death or marriage dates, or details of siblings/spouses, was quite a surprise.

Which lead me to wondering if there is any software 'out there' that is capable of checking the data file and listing areas it thinks are worth revisiting, as they may be missing data. Starting with families/individuals closest to one's own pedigree as the top priority, and going down the list from there.

Anyone come across anything like this ? Or am I obliged to perform my own recursive search down every branch ?

Thanks.

Recording same-sex unions

jeremy1967 — 4 Dec 2007 3:06:21 GMT

Does anyone know of a software package that allows same-sex unions to be recorded?

I have looked at PAF, which obviously doesn't, and was very disappointed that Roots Magic UK Version doesn't, despite the fact that Civil Partnerships (same-sex unions) have equal legal standing in the UK to conventional marriages.

These two packages I've tried out automatically designate the gender of a spouse to be the opposite of the primary person, and offer no kind of partnership event.

Come on software publishers, this is the 21st Century!!!

Any pointers gratefully received, thanks.
Jeremy

Blackberry Software

jimlambeth — 6 Dec 2007 4:33:56 GMT

Help! I love my Blackberry (I've tried Palms, Windows Mobile ...) EXCEPT for the fact I can find literally ZERO Genealogy software for it.

I like having this with me for those impromptu conversations with Great-Grandma. She needs a little data to get her rolling - and then I'd love to have someplace to put the information she comes up with.

Is anyone aware of anything at all? Even a GEDCOM reader would be a start. I used to use MyRoots on Palm ... that would be ideal.

Generations, uds file extension

Linda — 31 Jan 2002 12:31:15 GMT

I have a file sent with a uds extension which I believe is for the Generations program. Is there someone who would convert this file to GEDCOM format for me? Thank you

Gedcom format help

rechmbrs — 2 Dec 2007 12:17:40 GMT

I need help in fixing a GED file with many TYPE tags that should use regular tags.

Thanks,
RON C

Editing Gedcom

reino4 — 26 Nov 2007 7:20:37 GMT

I need to delete lots of names from my family tree, going to each person's page in my tree and then going to edit profile and then delete is taking forever, is there a better utility for editing a gedcom file?

Mapping software for family tree

pjbuk007 — 27 Nov 2007 9:37:48 GMT

Has anyone used "Family Atlas", especially for the UK? Or the mapping facility which comes with FTM 2008? Or GenMap UK (archer software)?

I want to record all addresses on a map, it needs to be detailed down to street level. Ideally I would like to be able to use old maps as "layers" in Google Earth or simlar but no idea how to do that.

I use FTM 2006, and do not want to buy FTM 2008, but would be interested to hear experiences with map data for family history.

GPS

bweand1 — 31 Aug 2006 12:09:00 GMT

I'm interested in using GPS to accurately locate grave sites. Does anyone have experience with these systems, or can you direct me to an approriate site?

Need to pick a software program

K_Catrett — 16 Oct 2007 4:47:30 GMT

Okay I did everything backwards and wrong. My only tree is on the ancestry.com site and it is broken into four parts. I would like to buy a software program and combine them into one. But I still want the ability to just print a branch or two. I'm sure my husband's brothers couldn't care less about my great grandparents.

Everything I've read about Family Tree Maker 2008 says it is horrible and that version 16 is better. Yes, I would like to add pictures where I have them, or copies of death certificates, etc. And it would be great to plot out who lives where in relationship to each other.

Suggestions PLEASE. Thanks!

Importing other files

welches1979 — 8 May 2007 2:20:24 GMT

Is there a genealogy program available that allows you to import files from other programs (text, spreadsheets, etc...) into the tree?

I know it sounds lazy, but I'm just not looiking forward to manually typing all my 80+ pages of off-line notes into my tree. I'm sure I'm not the first one to have this thought, so was just wondering if anyone knew of a program that allowed this type of command.

Thank you for your time.

CGN

Family History System (FHS)

mrnoble_1 — 5 Nov 2007 9:21:10 GMT

I currently use the above programme which is an old DOS based system written by Phillip E Brown from Tallahassee.It has adequately met my needs for some years and I now have some 2400 individuals recorded. Trouble is, it is no longer supported. It was taken to the windows prototype stage but then apparetly abandoned. I am currently looking for a replacement and am considering PAF as I believe that, together with PAF Companion, it will support printing on a wide carriage printer on continuous paper. Has anyone else made a transition from FHS, possibly to PAF? Are there any pitfalls?
Can anyone confirm whether continuous paper printing with PAF (or any other system) is possible?
Michael

Acestor reports

sundstrom5373 — 23 Oct 2007 5:04:55 GMT

I have seen several Scandinavian acestor reports that are true reports and not small ancestor trees.
The report starts with the (1) report subject.
Then his (2) father and (3) mother. The number for the father of anyone in the report is twice that of the son; and the mother is twice plus one.
I have been look for a program that will create this report.
A few facts for each person in the report follow the name.
I figure there must be some simple program that can create the report from a ged file.

Does anyone know of a program that can create this report?

An example of the report without facts and with relationships follows:
Ancestors of William Sidney Sundstrom
1. William Sidney Sundstrom - subject
2. Martin Sidney Sundstrom - father
3. Mary Margaret Brinker – mother
4. Simon Amatos Sundstrom – father’s father
5. Anna Albertina Johansson – father’s mother
6. Charles Henry Brinker – mother’s father
7. Evalyn Harriet Miller – mother’s mother
8. John Marten Sundstrom – father’s father’s father
9. Maria Margreta Sandström – father’s father’s mother
10. Anders Johansson – father’s mother’s father
11. Maria Jacobsson – father’s mother’s mother
12. John Charles Brinker – mother’s father’s father
13. Margareta Christiana Koch – mother’s father’s mother
14. Orville Sylvester Miller – mother’s mother’s father
15. Mary Blanche Tupper – mother’s mother’s mother

Upgrade from FTM Version 7 help

shusted1 — 16 Oct 2007 12:41:01 GMT

I have been using Family Tree Maker Version 7 for a few years and would like to upgrade to a nicer program. I need suggestions for a good program, one that will easily transfer my version 7 information. Thank you.

Artifact Inventory/Catalog Software?

darcyp_mn — 9 Sep 2007 7:06:43 GMT

Can anyone recommend software options for cataloging family history artifacts? Something that would handle various types -- photos, an old ledger book, jewelry, letters, a truck, etc. Ideally, it would be easily searchable, identify the owner and location and include a photo link or thumbnail image.

I've seen some made just for photos or books or coins, but nothing yet that seems quite right for this purpose.

Advice on external hard drive

dmcti01 — 7 Sep 2006 12:41:18 GMT

My Family Tree Maker file is getting large. I think my backup file alone is 151,193kb. I have the program on my laptop. Thinking I should move it to an external drive for safety. Would be looking to put the entire program and my files on the external drive but still keep CD backups. Has anyone done this? Looking for suggestions. Thanks

Geonology software?

flyingbabyb — 4 Oct 2007 11:18:02 GMT

Alll i want to do is make a simple page that contains:
A picture
Dates for all the important catorgies
Notes

I want this all on one printable page. WHAT software will do this? I asl want to be able to print my whole family tree WITH siblings listed. I tried a few differnt programs but am frustrated! I just want nice pages with the picture, the name under it, the birth date and place, the death date and place, the spouses name, the place they got married, the date and a section for notes. WHY IS THIS SO HARD? I need to get this done since its gonna be a gift for my entire family for Christmas and Hanukkah. My great grandmother is very old and this will be a very special reminder of the past for her.

What software can handle Double-linking??

jadolphs — 1 Oct 2007 6:41:46 GMT

I have a leg of my family tree where families were huge and marriages between loosly related family members is common.

For instance, my grandfather Frank and his sister Freida married Susie and Peter, respectively, who were also siblings from another family.

Typically, I would enter the parents of Susie, and then enter the parents of Peter. Since they are brother and sister, I'd like to just enter the parents once and have the software keep track of the multiple relationships.

On a chart this would show as crossed lines.

So what software can handle this, both from a data standpoint, and also in charting?

I'm ready to purchase something and this is my number one criteria.

Can anyone offer insight?

Photos on DVD

blake994 — 30 Jun 2007 6:33:31 GMT

I have been busily scanning whatever family photos I can borrow from family members and when I return the photos I would like to include a DVD that will display the photos on TV, particularly for an older family member with failing eyesight.

Does anyone know of software that will do this for me that is cheap and easy to use. Most of the software that I have seen is more suitable for home videos when all I need is a simple slideshow.

Susan

Have you abandoned FTM for something else?

S_Connella — 17 Sep 2007 6:53:45 GMT

Interested in hearing from all former FTM users who gave it up for something that is better designed. Especially interested in hearing from FTM refugees who've adopted the two packages I am most seriously considering:

Legacy Family Tree
The Master Genealogist

Thanks in advance!

Sometime I would like to see in tree software

jeffjahn — 19 Sep 2007 2:41:41 GMT

I know I have hear people ask from time to time is it better to have many trees or one large tree. I usually stick with one tree so i dont have to update many trees. The problem I see is with sharing. If you share with a family member you basicly share all info unless you break it out before hand. What I would like to see is the ability to create multiple trees and if a person was in different trees be able to link them. In that case each person would update in multiple trees when you change them in one tree.

Adoption Notations

mrsmarks64 — 2 Aug 2007 10:46:24 GMT

I have read and reread these msg's about relationship lables - Was just looking for what was "common" practice in the geneology circles - I have 3 cases of adoption in my diverse family tree - it seems quite complicated as to how to record them. I would have thought by now that most programs would allow or let you automatically make a note or mark of some kind to indicate an adoption - I see we can add a 'life event' adoption... this is a life event in the parents? and do you have to record it on both parents , or is it recorded as a life event for the child?

combining 2 ged com?

GLENDA7 — 11 Sep 2007 9:18:20 GMT

is there a way to do this and how?? my mom started 2 trees and now wants them combined. I hoped by entering both into the rootsweb world tree project they would link in ancstry.com but they have not. any ideas or software suggestions that would accompish this? both have some overlaping info but not much.

thanks!
glenda and jennifer

What software/program is this?

livingstoneancestry — 11 Sep 2007 12:26:29 GMT

Sorry but for the life of me I can't remember the name of this genealogy software I'm thinking of. From what I remember its not an actual software, like the kind you have on a CD. Instead its one where you can enter the info online thru a website and provide additional passwords to say your siblings for them to enter their family information and can provide the website to family members for view access only

Its not Tribal Pages or One Family Tree, this was something completely different and more sophisticated, the bad part being you didn't have the backup on your hard drive. I'm trying to go thru my prior issues of the Family Tree Magazine to see if I can figure it out.

Suzanne

software for PDA?

JudyDrake11 — 20 Jan 2007 2:29:27 GMT

My Palm is no longer working and I was thinking about changing to the Dell Windows PDA but don't know if there is genealogy software for it.

Circular Descendant Chart

BradfordLJones — 31 Aug 2007 9:10:11 GMT

Does anybody know of a program that will generate a circular descendant chart (not just a fan) with the oldest ancestor at the center, their children in the closest ring, their grandchildren in the next ring out, and their great grandchildren in the next ring out, etc.? There are lots of programs that will do this for ancestors, starting with someone in the middle and their successive ancestral generations in each outer ring, but I want the oldest ancestor at the center, not out on the outer ring. Thanks, Brad

COMMERCIAL WEB SITES - a msg from the board administrator

XBoardAdminX — 1 Sep 2007 7:07:43 GMT

Please do not post links to commercial web sites in your posts. They are not permitted on the message boards. If a link to a commercial site is included in your post, your post might be deleted, resulting in the unfortunate loss of your query or helpful information.

Please read Community Guidelines, Board Help, and Board FAQ (links are at the bottom of this screen) before posting to the boards.

If you have questions about what is or is not appropriate to include on the message boards, you can post them to the Boards Users board, under Topics > RootsWeb > Administrative > Boards Users.

Thank you.

Software that showes everyone Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, ... in Family tree view?

manquala — 11 Aug 2007 3:29:16 GMT

Hi,

What family tree software will show aunts, cousins, uncles, .. in the famly tree view of everyone and not just a certian person and how everyone is linked to that one person? Thanks soo much!

GEDCOM files broken after upload

sarsipius23 — 27 Aug 2007 8:01:11 GMT

Hello, I have a Gedcom file that I export from my genealogy program and upload. Once uploaded it is broken (several "spouse unknown" entries where the original file had marriages, etc). My program is iFamily for Tiger 2.251 and I turned off the custom messages tag check box. I don't want to manually fix the thousands of names in my gedcom.

Anybody have any ideas?

Thank you,
Brien

Generations Family Tree Millennium Collection

Familysearchr — 21 Aug 2007 5:33:59 GMT

Would anyone be interested in this program? I have one sitting here collecting dust!
You can email me at Familysearchr@msn.com

Thanks
Jennifer

Printing problems with Generations Family Tree Grande Suite

Linda — 26 Jul 2003 6:17:33 GMT

I've been using Grande Suite for several years and have never had a problem. We recently purchased a new computer with lots of space and memory and now we can't get the printer to work (it's the same printer as before and works fine with other computer programs). Sierra has not been of any help. The new OS is Windows XP (which I don't like for other reasons). Anyone have any help on how to patch or otherwise fix this problem? The error message assures us that we don't have enough disk space (and this is a 120 GB computer!).

software for charts

HelenHamilton51 — 17 Aug 2007 5:36:14 GMT

Would CWWolf please post again the name of the software he recommended (on or about Aug 14th) to print out charts for display.
When I went back to find the original reply in order to print it out, it had been removed for some reason.
Thanks again.
HWH

Trouble reading CD

PippaBinnie — 16 Aug 2007 1:48:06 GMT

I have an English Parish Records CD for Lancashire Hundreds which I have had for some years. I have upgraded my computer which now uses windows xp instead of 98. My CD reader will not now read the CD. Has anyone else had this problem & can provide a fix?

The same goes for a CD of marriages for St Peters, Liverpool.

Software for the Mac?

caveushr — 21 Jan 2003 11:05:45 GMT

Right folks, anyone have ant good suggestions for Genealogy software for the Mac? I'm using "Reunion" now and it's OK - jusy wondering of there is something better -

Thanks,